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How To Help Black Out your Philadelphia Windows

April 02, 2018

There are many reasons you’d want to block light from coming through windows in Philadelphia. Whether it’s from ambient street light, constant traffic going by, or ordinary sunlight, dampening the light coming from your windows is important for relaxing and getting quality sleep.

For those dreaming of better sleep, here are a few ways Philadelphia homeowners can best block light through their windows.

Which Window Treatments Block Light The Best?

Lots of Philadelphia window treatments claim to block light, and you can basically divide them into three categories: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Take a look.

Blackout Window Treatments – The Good

The best window treatments to block light from your windows should do a few things:

Effectively prevent light from pouring in.
Operate easily based on your preferences.
Look stylish.

The window covering that hits all these marks is Philadelphia plantation shutters. When you shut the slats, shutters form an almost complete seal on your windows, blocking nearly all the light. Sunburst Polywood shutters also come with built-in weatherstripping that fills in the gaps along your window frame, so very little light enters your home. And unlike cheaper shutters, Polywood is guaranteed to warp or split, which can cause gaps in between the louvers and frame.

And unlike some cheaper DIY window blackout products, shutters look amazing in any room. Instead of looking like a piece of hardware, they’re as pretty as they are effective.

Another option belonging to the “good” category is room-darkening cellular shades. These are made with thick and dense material to block a good amount of light, and extend past your window opening. There can be some miniscule gaps around the edges of the window where light may peak into the room. But for a non-shutter product, light-blocking shades make the cut.

Blackout Window Treatments – The Bad

In this category are window treatments that don’t quite cut it when it comes to blacking out a window. Any type of fabric window treatment, from curtains to drapes, will allow some light in unless they’re both incredibly thick and go beyond the frame of your window.

Even heavy-duty blinds don’t fare well, since the slats on blinds don’t come together to block light. That means you’re going to get light, even if it’s at a very slight angle.

Blackout Window Treatments – The Ugly

Search for “Philadelphia window blackouts” in Google and you might find some easy to use DIY sheets made to hang in a window frame to block light. Most of them are customizable to your window’s dimensions, and adhere to your frame with velcro or something similar. And for the most part, they do what they’re supposed to do.

But there are a few issues with these products. First off, they don’t exactly look good. The majority of these products give up looks for function. So if you choose to install some of these blackout sheets, make sure to do it in an area that you don’t mind looking kind of drab.

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Second, for being easy to do it yourself, you’d better hope that you don’t have to take them up and down often. The adhesive or velcro that attach them to the wall can wear off pretty easily, meaning another purchase and another installation – both of which can grow old quick.

Let Sunburst Shutters Philadelphia Help You Control the Light

To learn more about interior shutters or other window treatments that can help you get the light control you need in your home, get in touch with your Philadelphia shutter team. Use the form below or call us at 215-874-4897 today to get a free, in-home window treatment consultation.

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